Developing Students Developing Students Creativity Creativity

& & Critical Thinking SkillsCritical Thinking Skills

Using Web-Based Activities…Using Web-Based Activities…

by by

Felicia GellFelicia Gell

Vital to our future…Vital to our future… Students today will be tomorrow's workers who will need to be able to work in Students today will be tomorrow's workers who will need to be able to work in

teams. teams.

Individuals will move through several careers in the course of a lifetime. Individuals will move through several careers in the course of a lifetime.

Nurtures the ability to solve more complex issues in society. Nurtures the ability to solve more complex issues in society.

The amount of information available to everyone continues to grow at an The amount of information available to everyone continues to grow at an accelerating pace; much of it will come directly from a growing number of accelerating pace; much of it will come directly from a growing number of sources without filtering or verification. sources without filtering or verification.

Students will need to be able to deal with ambiguity. Students will need to be able to deal with ambiguity.

Students will need to commit themselves to a lifelong process of learning, honoring Students will need to commit themselves to a lifelong process of learning, honoring multiple perspectives and evaluating information before acting on it.multiple perspectives and evaluating information before acting on it.

Using WebQuests and Web-based activities in our classrooms can help build a solid Using WebQuests and Web-based activities in our classrooms can help build a solid foundation that prepares them for the future.foundation that prepares them for the future.

Students get motivated and are provided with authentic and meaningful learning Students get motivated and are provided with authentic and meaningful learning activitiesactivities

Web-based activities promote cooperative learningWeb-based activities promote cooperative learning

Webquests in particular help students develop higher order thinking skillsWebquests in particular help students develop higher order thinking skills

Integrating Web-Based Integrating Web-Based Activities is…Activities is…

……a fabulous way to get students engaged in a fabulous way to get students engaged in their own learning and motivate them to their own learning and motivate them to learn more, to inquire more and to learn more, to inquire more and to accomplish more.accomplish more.

……all encompassing; yet designed with specific all encompassing; yet designed with specific student groups and teaching goals in mind. student groups and teaching goals in mind.

……easy to facilitate as it uses one of several easy to facilitate as it uses one of several online "click 'n build" tools; there is no need online "click 'n build" tools; there is no need to learn HTML and servers are provided to to learn HTML and servers are provided to store the Web pages you create. store the Web pages you create.

Web-Based Activities…Web-Based Activities…Several formats to choose from Several formats to choose from

based on what you want to accomplish…based on what you want to accomplish…

What is Hotlist?What is Hotlist?

It is as it sounds…It is as it sounds… Basic building block for all other activity Basic building block for all other activity

formats.formats. The teacher locates, categorizes, then The teacher locates, categorizes, then

publishes websites on a Web page. publishes websites on a Web page. Supplements traditional teaching materials Supplements traditional teaching materials Saves students hours of aimless searching Saves students hours of aimless searching More efficient than handing out lists of sites or More efficient than handing out lists of sites or

sharing bookmarks sharing bookmarks Easily updated and can be modified to fit Easily updated and can be modified to fit

students' ability and interests students' ability and interests Eliminates unnecessary photocopying of materialsEliminates unnecessary photocopying of materials

Example: Example: Archaeological Field WorkArchaeological Field Work

What is Scrapbook?What is Scrapbook? Enables you to organize various Internet sites into Enables you to organize various Internet sites into

categories such as photos, maps, quotations, facts, categories such as photos, maps, quotations, facts, stories, audio clips, video clips, virtual reality tours, stories, audio clips, video clips, virtual reality tours, etc. etc.

Useful when students already have acquired some Useful when students already have acquired some knowledge on the topic being studied. Students then knowledge on the topic being studied. Students then pick and choose from the resources, and incorporate pick and choose from the resources, and incorporate them into a project such as a report, newsletter, them into a project such as a report, newsletter, Web page, slide presentation, etc. Web page, slide presentation, etc.

Student centered activity Student centered activity Students choose an aspect of the topic that personally Students choose an aspect of the topic that personally

interests them interests them Enables students to create more interesting reports and Enables students to create more interesting reports and

presentations presentations Students have the opportunity to make use of multimedia Students have the opportunity to make use of multimedia

tooltool Example: Example: A Soccer ScrapbookA Soccer Scrapbook

What are Treasure What are Treasure Hunts?Hunts?

Teacher selects 10-15 Web sites and designs a question Teacher selects 10-15 Web sites and designs a question (the hunt) to be answered from each site or group of sites (the hunt) to be answered from each site or group of sites (the answers are the treasure!) (the answers are the treasure!)

Sites and questions guide students to study critical aspects Sites and questions guide students to study critical aspects of a topicof a topic

Students can synthesize what they learn in order to Students can synthesize what they learn in order to answer a "big question" posed at the end of the Treasure answer a "big question" posed at the end of the Treasure HuntHunt

Useful to help students learn facts about a topic and to see Useful to help students learn facts about a topic and to see the bigger picturethe bigger picture

Encourages reading for a specific purpose Encourages reading for a specific purpose Fosters sharing and consensus building among student groups Fosters sharing and consensus building among student groups Asks students to infer and draw conclusions Asks students to infer and draw conclusions

Example: Example: Black History Past to PresentBlack History Past to Present

An An exampleexample for younger students for younger studentsThis one is a little more This one is a little more intricateintricate, for older students!, for older students!

What are Subject What are Subject Samplers?Samplers?

Teacher selects 6-10 Web sites on the chosen Teacher selects 6-10 Web sites on the chosen topic that contain a hands-on element, topic that contain a hands-on element, something to do or listen to or look at. something to do or listen to or look at.

Varied sites appeal to and engage a wide range Varied sites appeal to and engage a wide range of students.of students.

Students are asked to choose one or two sites Students are asked to choose one or two sites that most interest them and to interact with that most interest them and to interact with them (answer questions) from a personal point of them (answer questions) from a personal point of view (opinions, experiences, and preferences.)view (opinions, experiences, and preferences.) Encourages students to "buy in" to the topic being Encourages students to "buy in" to the topic being

studied. studied. Lets students choose resources depending on individual Lets students choose resources depending on individual

interests and learning style.interests and learning style. Helps students connect emotionally with the subject. Helps students connect emotionally with the subject.

Example:Example: My ChinaMy China; Facing Facts: Prejudice; Facing Facts: Prejudice

What are Webquests?What are Webquests?

Require the highest order thinking skills Require the highest order thinking skills of the web-based activities scaffolded here. of the web-based activities scaffolded here.

Its structure includes:Its structure includes: Introduction – the purpose of the webquestIntroduction – the purpose of the webquest Task – figure out what students are going to doTask – figure out what students are going to do Process – how to accomplish the activityProcess – how to accomplish the activity Evaluation – what students are striving forEvaluation – what students are striving for Conclusion – sum up what webquest and students Conclusion – sum up what webquest and students

achieveachieve Credits – who created itCredits – who created it Teacher Page – access to lesson plan informationTeacher Page – access to lesson plan information

So much more about So much more about Webquests…Webquests…

Inquiry-oriented online tool for learningInquiry-oriented online tool for learning A classroom-based lesson in which most or A classroom-based lesson in which most or

all of the information that students explore all of the information that students explore and evaluate comes from the Internet and evaluate comes from the Internet

Can be as short as a single class period or Can be as short as a single class period or as long as a month-long unitas long as a month-long unit

Usually involve group work, with division Usually involve group work, with division of labor among students who take on of labor among students who take on specific roles or perspectives specific roles or perspectives

Students spend their time Students spend their time usingusing preselected by the teacher, not looking for preselected by the teacher, not looking for itit

The Art of Creating…The Art of Creating… A webquest about webquests…A webquest about webquests…

Can be very simple! As long as you can create a document with Can be very simple! As long as you can create a document with hyperlinks, you can create a WebQuest. That means that a hyperlinks, you can create a WebQuest. That means that a WebQuest can be created in Word, Powerpoint, and even Excel! WebQuest can be created in Word, Powerpoint, and even Excel!

It needs to have all the critical components: It needs to have all the critical components: is wrapped around a doable and interesting task that is ideally a scaled is wrapped around a doable and interesting task that is ideally a scaled

down version of things that adults do as citizens or workers.down version of things that adults do as citizens or workers. requires higher level thinking that includes synthesizing, analyzing, requires higher level thinking that includes synthesizing, analyzing,

problem-solving, creativity and judgment. problem-solving, creativity and judgment. makes good use of the web; i.e. if the web isn't at the heart of the makes good use of the web; i.e. if the web isn't at the heart of the

lesson, it's not a WebQuest.lesson, it's not a WebQuest. isn't a research report or a step-by-step science or math procedure. isn't a research report or a step-by-step science or math procedure.

Having learners simply distilling web sites and making a presentation Having learners simply distilling web sites and making a presentation about them isn't enough. about them isn't enough.

isn't just a series of web-based experiences. Having students go look at isn't just a series of web-based experiences. Having students go look at this page, then go play this game, then go here and turn your name this page, then go play this game, then go here and turn your name into hieroglyphs doesn't require higher level thinking skills and so, by into hieroglyphs doesn't require higher level thinking skills and so, by definition, isn't a WebQuestdefinition, isn't a WebQuest

FYI…FYI…

Bernie Dodge, Bernie Dodge, WebQuest creator, on his first WebQuest lesson:WebQuest creator, on his first WebQuest lesson:

A.k.a. the Frank Lloyd Wright of Webquests…A.k.a. the Frank Lloyd Wright of Webquests…

"I enjoyed walking around and helping where necessary and listening to the buzz of "I enjoyed walking around and helping where necessary and listening to the buzz of conversations as students pooled their notes and tried to come to a decision. The conversations as students pooled their notes and tried to come to a decision. The things they were talking about were much deeper and more multifaceted than I had things they were talking about were much deeper and more multifaceted than I had ever heard from them. That evening I realized that this was a different way to teach ever heard from them. That evening I realized that this was a different way to teach -- and that I loved it!“ -- and that I loved it!“ More of his own wordsMore of his own words

Some Online Authoring Some Online Authoring Sites:Sites:

QuestGarden (free trial, $20/year)QuestGarden (free trial, $20/year) Filamentality (free!)Filamentality (free!) ZWebQuest (free!)ZWebQuest (free!) PHPWebQuest (free!)PHPWebQuest (free!) TeacherWeb ($27/year)TeacherWeb ($27/year)